FCC approves plan to 'modernize media ownership rules'

The seal of the Federal Communications Commission hangs inside the hearing room at the FCC headquarters February 26, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Commission will vote on Internet rules, grounded in multiple sources of the Commissions legal authority, to ensure that Americans reap the benefits of an open Internet.

The FCC voted on Thursday to approve a proposal aimed at modernizing media ownership rules.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wrote about the approved proposal last month on the FCC website.The FCC proposal eliminates the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule and does the same with the radio/television cross-ownership rule. The current newspaper/broadcast rule bars companies from owning a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market, noting that there are synergies between broadcast television and newspaper ownership that are not in the public interest. “In this day and age, if you want to buy a newspaper, you deserve a roadmap, not a roadblock,” Pai wrote on the FCC website. The proposal also makes changes to rules regarding how many TV stations can be owned in one market.“This would better reflect the competitive conditions in local markets,” Pai wrote. Among other changes, the approved plan will encourage diversity in the media. “We would finally establish an incubator program to encourage greater diversity in and new entry into the media business and seek comment on what the details of that program should be,” Pai wrote.Members of Congress and state Attorneys General have voiced opposition to the proposal, which would pave the way for a controversial deal between Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., and Tribune Media Co., that would create the nation’s largest television broadcast group.The FCC voted on several other proposals during Thursday’s meeting, including approving the next generations of television broadcast signal and wireless communications.This station’s parent company, Hearst Television, owns and operates television stations in 26 local markets, reaching viewers in 39 states.

The FCC voted on Thursday to approve a proposal aimed at modernizing media ownership rules.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wrote about the approved proposal last month on the FCC website.

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The FCC proposal eliminates the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule and does the same with the radio/television cross-ownership rule. The current newspaper/broadcast rule bars companies from owning a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market, noting that there are synergies between broadcast television and newspaper ownership that are not in the public interest.

“In this day and age, if you want to buy a newspaper, you deserve a roadmap, not a roadblock,” Pai wrote on the FCC website.

The proposal also makes changes to rules regarding how many TV stations can be owned in one market.

“This would better reflect the competitive conditions in local markets,” Pai wrote.

Among other changes, the approved plan will encourage diversity in the media.

“We would finally establish an incubator program to encourage greater diversity in and new entry into the media business and seek comment on what the details of that program should be,” Pai wrote.

Members of Congress and state Attorneys General have voiced opposition to the proposal, which would pave the way for a controversial deal between Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., and Tribune Media Co., that would create the nation’s largest television broadcast group.

The FCC voted on several other proposals during Thursday’s meeting, including approving the next generations of television broadcast signal and wireless communications.

This station’s parent company, Hearst Television, owns and operates television stations in 26 local markets, reaching viewers in 39 states.